Western Regional Office

The western region covers the council areas of Fermanagh & Omagh, Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid Ulster.

We have three offices covering this region in Omagh, Craigavon and Fermanagh.

Successes

We are committed to helping export focused businesses in the Western region grow and succeed. For the Corporate Plan period from 2011-12 to 2015-16 our support totalled almost £158m to over 6,800 business projects securing total investment of over £1bn and promoting 11,430 new jobs.

The western region is the home of Northern Ireland's only STEM Centre and is a SMART Region bringing together businesses, government and general public to find solutions and exploit opportunities to further develop the region. It is also known for its flourishing materials handling sector which has attracted major international companies such as Terex GB, Sandvik, Kingspan and NACCO.

There is a great tradition of entrepreneurship in the Western region founded primarily on traditional sectors such as engineering, construction and agri-food. The region also has a strong food base and is the home of Moy Park Ltd, one of Europe’s leading poultry companies.

Exports

Our regional office focuses on growing businesses in Northern Ireland, through encouraging export focused start-ups and helping existing businesses grow in new markets.

Community Plans

In addition to our direct support to businesses, we work in partnership with stakeholders to support activities that will help drive economic development in the regions. Our Western Regional Office has worked closely with Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon District Council and Mid Ulster District Council in the development of their community plans, identifying unique selling points that will help attract investment and growth to the area. The plans will play a role in developing the economy of the Western region.

Ethna McNamee – Regional Manager

Ethna has been involved in economic development for more than 25 years. Prior to taking on the role of Regional Manager Ethna has worked in a number of roles for Invest NI, previously managing the Western Innovation Network and the Social Enterprise.

Council Briefings